We live in a remote area that has very poor TV and radio reception. I'm talking almost nonexistent here, folks. Our only TV is through a satellite dish.

We like to listen to some AM radio programs, and we were having a hard time picking up any channels at all. We had heard about the Sangean CCRadio, which is made for distant or weak AM signal listening, so we thought we'd give it a try.

~ About the Sangean CCRadio

This radio was created by the C. Crane Company and designed with the goal in mind to be the BEST AM radio. C. Crane says it incorporates the highest quality parts and engineering to produce the most sensitive AM receiver available. The CCRadio picks up FM channels as well.

Here are some of the features the CCRadio offers:

~ Adjustable bass and treble controls
~ 5" speaker with output power 2W on AC
~ LCD display
~ Clock with alarm (buzzer or radio)
~ Sleep timer
~ One-touch memory recall (like a car)
~ Auto scan and stop
~ Rotary tuning knob with 1kHz fine tuning
~ Headphone jack

There is also a built-in 6V DC input jack and charging circuit which allows you to run the radio via the Optional Solar Panel while charging the optional NiCad batteries. These options are available for additional cost.

The CCRadio should operate over 250 hours on 4 alkaline D batteries. Or, you can just plug it in with the included AC cord.

~ Our Experience Using the Sangean CCRadio

This radio sounded like the best possible AM option available for our poor reception. The radio has a telescopic antenna that you can pull out to the most efficient length. We turned on the radio, adjusted the antenna, and.....drum roll please....pretty much the same reception we always had.

The instruction manual says that best performance can be achieved when the radio is swiveled on its base. We tried turning it this way and that, which made some difference. When we tried moving it to other places in the house, that helped a little bit as well. But honestly, I'd have to say the AM reception was about the same as our old radio.

The FM reception was fairly good, and the radio sounded great there.

Reading the instruction manual further, apparently what we really need to do is use an external antenna. The CCRadio has two external antenna terminals for AM. It suggests for a quick and easy antenna to use 50 feet of insulated wire attached to one terminal and a ground to the other terminal, and try running the wire inside around a window or along a baseboard.

Well, we really didn't want to bother with all that, so we haven't tried using the external antenna approach. We were hoping we could get away without an outside antenna, but I guess that's our only option for good AM reception.

The CCRadio is compact and very heavy duty, although not heavy in weight. The buttons are easy to use, and well designed. You have the option of a black case, or platinum, which is like a burnished chrome look.

~ Important Note

The CCRadio has been refined and upgraded to the CCRadio Plus, and the CCRadio Plus is now the only model available new.

Here are the upgrades that the CCRadio Plus has incorporated:

~ Programmable Timer
~ Audio IN/OUT Jacks
~ Signal Strength Meter
~ Battery Strength Meter
~ Band Change Beep

Also, the CCRadio Plus has been specifically tailored for the human voice.

But the BIGGEST and BEST change is the addition of the built-in weather band where you can listen to the NOAA weather station for current local conditions. And a special weather alert feature will sound an alarm to notify you of any weather emergency updates, day or night.

~ Final Thoughts

Even though in our situation AM reception was not enhanced by the CCRadio, I'm led to believe it's not the radio's fault, it's just our location. We have not yet tried using the external antenna terminals the CCRadio provides. That would probably improve our reception dramatically. We were just hoping to avoid that. I still believe the CCRadio is an excellent product, especially the newest version, the CCRadio Plus, with the built-in weather band. I recommend it, but if you get very little AM reception with other radios, the CCRadio probably won't make that much difference unless you use an external antenna.

The CCRadio Plus is selling for about $160, and the price from C. Crane includes free ground shipping within the U.S.

The folks at C. Crane are very helpful, and will be happy to discuss your personal needs and help you choose the best product for your situation.

C. Crane Company
www.ccrane.com
1001 Main Street
Fortuna, CA 95540
1-800-522-8863




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